Compound reversible rotary engine.



'ERIKSBN. COMPOUND REVERSIBLE ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICATION II'LED JULY 28, 1909.

962,204, Patented June 21, 1910.

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EBIKSEN. COMPOUND REVERSIBLE ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 28, 1909. I

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HERMAND ERIKSEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Application filed July 28, 1909. Serial No. 510,024.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAND ERIKsEN, a citizen of Norway, residing at Philadelphia in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compound Reversible Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in compound reversible rotary engines, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and efiective device of this character whereby the engine may be readily and easily reversed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the steam will be caused to travel in but one direction at a time around the cylinder and also to provide a means for causing the spring actuated blades to pass beneath the first named means.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved rotary engine. Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view of one of the cylinders. Fig. 3, a perspective View of the gate valve. Fig. 4, an end view of one of the cylinders, the head or end plate being removed. Fig. 5, a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and Fig. 6, an inside view of the head or end plate.

As the construction and operation of each of the cylinders illustrated in the drawings is substantially identical, the further detail description of one will be applicable to both, the only difference being that one cylinder is a high pressure and therefore small, while the other is low pressure and larger.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the base with which is formed the cylinder B, the inner face of said cylinder being provided with a number of grooves C for a purpose to be hereinafter described. In this cylinder is mounted the wheel D, having openings E formed therein, in which slide the blades F, said blades being normally held outward so that they rest against the face of the cylinder by the coil springs G. To both ends of the wheel D are secured the cleats a, over the ends of each opening E which prevent the transverse movement of the blades. Passing through the wheel D is a shaft H, to which any machinery may be attached that is to be driven.

With the blades F are formed the trunnions I, on which are mounted the shoes J which are adapted to run in the cam track K formed in the inner face of the engine head L which is secured to the cylinder by suitable screws passing through the screw receiving openings M in the head, and then into the cylinder.

N denotes an opening formed in the en gine head L, preferably near the bottom thereof and enters the cam K. This allows the shoes J to pass through said opening N and be placed upon the trunnions I, each trunnion being brought to the opening by revolving the wheel D. After the shoes have been placed in position the cap 0 is secured to the outside of the engine head over the opening N, a packing material having first been placed between the engine head and the cap to prevent leakage of steam. In the head is also formed a central circular opening P through which passes the shaft H.

Q, denotes a cap on the inner surface of which is formed a number of grooves R, which are in alinement with the grooves C in the cylinder when the cap is in place, and between the upper ends of these grooves is formed another groove S at right angles to the first named grooves, and in this groove is mounted the gate valve T, said gate valve being as thick or slightly thicker than the distance between the upper walls of the grooves R on the face of the wheel D, and it is provided with vertical pins U, having coiled about them a spring V, said pins extending upward into suitable openings in the cap Q, the springs V normally holding the valve downward against the wheel D. With the ends of the gate valve T on both sides thereof are formed the tongues W,

which fit within the grooves X formed in the end pieces Y, said end pieces being nor-v mally held against the sides of the cylinder by the springs Z.

On top of the cap Q are mounted the inlet Valves A and B and the exhaust valves C and D, which are composed of the outer casings E, having an opening F which communicates with an opening G in the cap Q, the lower end of said opening G being just above the periphery of the wheel D.

Within the casings E are rotatably mounted the inner casings H having an opening I formed therein, and these casings are closed at one end where they are connected to a shaft J, which connects two inner casings, that is, one of said inner casings being in the exhaust and the other in the inlet valve. To each of these shafts is connected a rocker arm K, the lower ends of which are pivoted to the link L, to one end of which is attached a connecting rod M, the opposite end of said connecting rod being pivoted to the rocker arm N", which is attached to the rod 0 journaled in the brackets P and on one end of this rod 0 is mounted the handle Q whereby said rod may be revolved for working the valves.

The inlet valves A and B of the high pressure cylinder are connected with the boiler and the exhaust valve C of the high pressure cylinder is connected with the inlet valve B of the low pressure cylinder by the pipe R and the exhaust valve D of the high pressure cylinder is connected with the inlet valve A of the low pressure cylinder by the pipe S.

The operation is as follows: As the valves now stand the inlet valve B and the exhaust valve G of each cylinder are open, steam is admitted from a boiler to the high pressure cylinder through the inlet valve B causing the wheel D to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow adj acent to Fig. 5, because of the pressure of the steam upon the blade F. The grooves C and R in the cylinders B and the cap Q allow a portion of the steam to pass over the blade nearest the inlet so as to work upon the blade just before it. In this way two blades are being acted upon at the same time and as soon as the blade reaches the smaller grooves on the opposite side of the casings the steam may pass through said grooves and out of the exhaust C to the low pressure cylinder, then through the pipe B through the inlet valve B of the low pressure cylinder, where it will at once act upon the blades F of said cylinder causing the wheel D to revolve and out through the exhaust C of the last named cylinder. As the wheel D revolves the cam track K in the cylinder heads will act upon the shoes J causing the blades F-to be drawn inward, thereby allowing said blades to pass beneath the gate valve T, and after these blades have passed the gatevalve the steam passing through the inlet valve B will strike against the back of the blades forcing the wheel around. To reverse the engine the handle Q is operated, which Wlll revolve the rod 0 thereby rotating the easings H of the valves through the medium of the rocker arms N, connecting rods l links L, rocker arms K and shafts J which will bring the openings I in said inner casings in line with the openings F in the outer casings E of the inlet valves A in the exhausts D, at the same time movin 'the openings in the inner casings away rom the openings in the outer casings of the inlet valves B and the exhausts C,- so that now the steam will enter through the inlet valve A of the high pressure cylinder, causing.

the wheel D to revolve in the-opposite direction, passing out of the exhaust 0 through the pipe S into the inlet valve A of the low pressure cylinder, where it will cause the wheel D in said cylinder to revolve,then pass out through the exhaust D of the low pressure cylinder.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction here shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and useful, is-

In a rotary engine, the combination of a high pressure and low pressure cylinder having grooves formed in their inner faces, a wheel mounted in each of said cylinders having openings therein, blades mounted in said openings, springs for normally holding said blades outward, trunnions formed with said blades, shoes mounted on said trunnions, cylinder heads each of which is provided with a cam track, a central opening, screw receiving openings, andanother opening en'- tering the cam track, the shoes working in the track for drawing the blades inward, a cap secured over the opening in the line of the cam track, a shaft passing through the wheels in the casings, a cap having inlet and exhaust openings and grooves formed therein, a spring actuated gate valve mounted in one of said grooves for preventing the flow of steam in more than one direction through the cylinders, two inlet valves and two exhaust valves mounted upon the cap composed of outer casings having openings therein in line with the openings in the cap, and inner casings having openings therein, one end of said inner casings being closed, shafts connecting an exhaust and inlet valve, rocker arms secured to said shaft-s, links pivoted to the lower ends of said shafts, a connecting rod, one end of which is attached to said links, brackets, a revolving rod journaled therein, rocker arms secured to said rod, said rocker arms being pivoted to the opposite ends of the connecting rods, a handle for operating the revolving rod, and pipes for connecting each of the exhaust valves of the high pressure cylinder with the inlet valves of the lOW pressure cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- HERMAND ERIKSEN.

Witnesses:

PAUL BILLIY, FRED DOBBINS. 

